Various methods have been taught of cutting and shaping an enveloped bun-like body by using a continuously fed two-layer material such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,024. For instance, it discloses an apparatus for shaping a round body consisting of a dough coating and a filling, which comprises an assembly comprising a plurality of circumferentially disposed members combined to shape a spheroidal body. Each of the members has at least two sliding surfaces, and they are so combined that a sliding surface of one member is slidable on a sliding surface of another member, that by sliding the members an opening is formed or closed in the center of the assembly, and that the opening is confined by walls consisting of the inwardly exposed part of the sliding surfaces of the members and is of a cross-sectional area, when the opening is fully open, sufficient to pass a descending cylindrical body.
While shaping a spheroidal body by the assembly of slidable members of the prior art is effective, particularly in precluding a member from intruding into the body and thereby breaking the outer layer of the cylindrical body, it has certain disadvantages. Because of the structural conditions of the assembly, the number of slidable members is limited up to about six, so that only polygonally-shaped products have been obtained. Therefore, the external appearance of these polygonal products falls far below that of those hand-shaped spheroidal ones.
Although cutting and shaping spheroidal products is possible without exposing their fillings, due to mechanical and dimensional imperfections in both the slidable members and in their assembly, a flower-like pattern is formed on the outer cover when a bar-shaped dough is cut. If a product with an even and smooth outer cover is to be produced, the product must be finished through additional manual work or other means. Further, conventional apparatuses could not be used for those products that require powdering. This is because if powdering is carried out when a bar-shaped dough is processed through a conventional apparatus, powders burn due to friction between slidable members and stick to the blades of the assembly and interrupt the operation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the subject invention to provide an improved apparatus for cutting and shaping a substantially spherical product.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide an improved apparatus for cutting and shaping a spherical product using a new shutter or iris assembly mechanism comprising a number of rotatable polygonal members.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide an improved apparatus for cutting and shaping a spherical product which eliminates flower-like patterns formed on the outer cover of the product, due to new and specially designed polygonal members.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide an improved apparatus for cutting and shaping a spherical product free from any interruption of the operation caused by powder burning and sticking to the blades when powdering is applied during the cutting process by using new and specially designed polygonal members, and new and specially designed driving mechanisms.